However, because there is an Ebola outbreak in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, the following reactions have occurred
- parents pulled their kids out of school after the principal returned from Zambia!
- parents got a British school to postpone a visit from a teacher from Ghana!
- business travelers cancelled a trip to a toursim expo in Zimbabwe!
- South Korea airlines cancelled flights to Kenya!
None of those African countries had experienced an Ebola outbreak!
Zimbabwe, Zambia and Kenya are on a TOTALLY DIFFERENT PART OF Africa!
They're nowhere near close to Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea!
Is Spain near Norway?
Is Mongolia near Indonesia?
Is Canada near Panama?
But this kind of ignorance is widespread about Africa.............
......ignorance that could easily be cured by looking at an atlas!
This type of information is EASILY available in encyclopedias, atlases, National Geographic and children's books about foreign countries.
It was ALREADY EASY to find before the Internet era!
There's no excuse to assume Zambia is in the same part of Africa as Liberia!
There's no excuse to assume Kenya is in the same part of Africa as Sierra Leone!
Learn your geography!
(disclaimer: children and adults with true mental disabilities are excused for not knowing those things. But everyone else should get with the program and get a map)
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Citations for the mentioned scenarios
Ben Mutzabaugh, “Korean Air Suspends Kenya Flights as Ebola Precaution,” USA Today, August 15, 2014, http://www.usatoday.com/story/todayinthesky/2014/08/15/korean-air-suspends-kenya-flights-as-ebola-precaution/14101227/.
“Ebola: Africa’s Image Takes a Hit,” Washington Post (via Associated Press), October 19, 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/ebola-africas-image-takes-a-hit/2014/10/19/4f678932-57af-11e4-9d6c-756a229d8b18_story.html.
(disclaimer: children and adults with true mental disabilities are excused for not knowing those things. But everyone else should get with the program and get a map)
------------
Citations for the mentioned scenarios
Ben Mutzabaugh, “Korean Air Suspends Kenya Flights as Ebola Precaution,” USA Today, August 15, 2014, http://www.usatoday.com/story/todayinthesky/2014/08/15/korean-air-suspends-kenya-flights-as-ebola-precaution/14101227/.
“Ebola: Africa’s Image Takes a Hit,” Washington Post (via Associated Press), October 19, 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/ebola-africas-image-takes-a-hit/2014/10/19/4f678932-57af-11e4-9d6c-756a229d8b18_story.html.
